weird thought

i work with at risk youth at a group home and every summer myself and a couple of other staff take groups of these kids out backpacking to introduce them to the backcountry. alot of these kids are afraid of the dark and wear the hell outta flashlights and headlamps. the other day while at Lowe's i had a strange idea and thought i would see what kinda thoughts or suggestions you guys could give me.

the thought i had was while at lowe's i saw those solar lights that people place jammed down in the ground along the sidewalks. they are in expensive, very light, and if strapped to the outside of packs could charge up and give off light enough for the kids at night if one or two were placed around the camp, especially in spots where we can't have fires. i may be crazy but what does everyone think.

The solution I would recommend here is not a product sold at lowes but a solution to this problem that was made for backpacking. Look into GoalZero products ( http://www.goalzero.com ). I have personally used a number of GoalZero products ( I work for one of their retailers) and have been very impressed with their performance. They make a number of solar panel products that range in output and also sell lights that can be charged by their panels. They even sell one hand held LED flash light that can be charged via an integrated solar panel and a mechanical crank. Best of all, they manufacture large rechargeable batteries in a number of sizes that can be used for charging anything from headlamps to MP3players to Laptops (in the higher end). Check them out man. They make some expeditionary stuff too, might be up your alley for an extended basecamp.

While we were in CA, my wife bought a hand crank AM/FM/Weather radio at Radio Shack. It would only go for about 5 minutes between crankings, regardless of how much you cranked -- not much of a battery in there I guess. Eventually the crank broke, she got it replaced under warranty, then gave it to a friend in CT when we came back to Norway where the weather band isn't the same.

All of which is to say, I would want to be sure that any hand crank/solar device I would hold enough of a charge to be actually useful before I would pay good money for it. As it is, a set of rechargeable NiMHs in an LED headlamp will go for 30+ hours, sometimes much longer depending on the make and model of the headlamp and the light setting you use. That sets a pretty high standard.

There may also be durability issues if you're going to put these in kids' hands...

Seems a little bit of his point is slipping away here. These are at risk kids and it is more than one kid. One hand crank may not cover his needs. If a kid needs to have a way to get light now, then the solar thing is good because they can charg it in the day, have it with them at night. Being a kid and afraid of the dark is not fun. I think cheap solar lights for each kid that wants one is an excellent idea. Furthermore, it puts them in control of their problem. Once you start getting into multiple headlamps and rechargeable batteries the cost becomes prohibitive for the purposes he originally stated. The other suggestion..Chem Light sticks is a good, cheap alternative as well. Those glo light sticks trick or treaters use are a buck. But they would need to last all through the dark, which the solar lights do.

Chris while hiking the Shenandoah National Park and tenting my group had solar lights around our tent openings. They cost about a buck a piece at wally world. They were the christmas theme but they worked..

The light sticks and the solar-charged "Tiki Torches" are a cheap solution for the at-risk and other youth-group situations. The Goal-Zero route is a very expensive solution for the at-risk and other youth-group situations. I have a Brunton solar panel and a Goal-Zero panel (Goal-Zero's HQ is located fairly close to me, as is Eton, which has several lines of solar-chargeable and crank-charge radios and lights). And I work with youth groups.

Sage's idea of turning it into a learning experience is excellent. One thing we have used is to use the light sticks as necklaces when it gets dark. In the ScoutReach program, it allows the leaders to track the kids readily, while giving them a bit of independence with a "safety leash" of sorts.

I have used the Brunton foldable solar panel on expeditions to Antarctica, Alaska, the Andes, and Africa to keep camera, netbook, and other rechargeable batteries charged. Goal-zero's storage batteries are good for some purposes (charge them during the day and subject them to heavy use during the dark/night hours), but they are really heavy when you get to the sizes lager than the pocket storage units, as well as being expensive (we are talking hundreds of dollars for the panels rated at more than 15 or 20 watts plus the equivalent storage units).

They're a Photon clone, and come with a set of batteries. One of these lights would last longer than a couple dozen chem lights, and be a heck of a lot cheaper. I've heard really good reports as to their performance, but have not yet used them personally.

i suppose that strolling around the campsite in a hockey mask wouldn't solve this....

most simple LED headlamps, like a 20 dollar black diamond gizmo, will run 50-75 hours on a new pair of AAA alkaline batteries. my larger one, more like 60-120 hours. should be plenty for a weekend trip.

Dont know the ages of the kids. But how about the UCO candle lanterns? They burn 6-8 hrs and can be safely hung inside a tent adding warmth. Of course with some kids fire wouldnt be a good idea. But for some of them it might be the right type of light. Or maybe hang one over each tent in a tree. You would have the control of blowing them out at night, and they could easly fine their tents. This would give a warm glow over the camping area.